The Voice of the Martyrs' blog, sharing powerful stories and timely information that invites and inspires American Christians into fellowship with their persecuted family around the world.

Posts from September 2010

September 30, 2010

In September, VOM began sending an easy-to-read Arabic Bible to people in the Middle East who have not heard God’s word before. Praise God for this great opportunity to provide a Bible that is easy to read and understand! Prior to this Bible version, the Arabic Bible was hard to read and understand for many people.

VOM is thankful for believers like you who sponsor God’s Word in countries such as Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nepal and Colombia. God is using this unique ministry effort to spread the gospel throughout restricted nations.

We continue to see God’s favor and faithfulness to the many persecuted Christians around the world who help us gather names of other people who need Bibles. These names are submitted to Bibles Unbound, where members have the opportunity to sponsor Bibles in the appropriate language for various restricted nations. BU provides an opportunity for believers in the U.S. to stand alongside our persecuted brothers and sisters and create a witness for Jesus Christ in hostile lands.

We encourage you to continue sponsoring New Testaments and playing a part in providing God’s Word to people around the world who do not have access to it. Pray that as VOM prints the easy-to-read Arabic Bible and sends it to people in the Middle East, the Word of God will transform lives.

If you’re not currently sponsoring Bibles through Bibles Unbound, we invite you to join us in this effort. You can sign up to sponsor Bibles at www.biblesunbound.com.

September 29, 2010

Christian in Jharkhand state may have been slain during Islamic festival.

NEW DELHI, September 28 (CDN) — Family members of a Christian worker who was found dead in a Muslim area in Jharkhand state a day after the Islamic Eid festival said they suspect he may have been murdered by local residents.

The body of Shravan Kumar, who had worked with the Gospel Echoing
Missionary Society, was found lying in a well near the Idgah Mosque in
Garhwa town in the wee hours of Sept. 13, a close relative of the
deceased told Compass by phone.

...

“When Kumar’s body was handed over to the family, it was beyond recognition; it had swollen,” said the relative.

Later, the family member went to the well in Garhwa where the body was
found. Local youths who pulled Kumar’s body from the well the morning
of Sept. 13 informed the family member that they noticed injuries on his
face and around his neck. More at Compass Direct.

The following is from Compass Direct. Click here for the full story. As you read this, consider how you would respond if this was happening to the church you attend, and then please commit time to pray today for the persecuted church.

Congregation accepts offer under condition that government build them permanent building.

JAKARTA, Indonesia, September 29 (CDN) — A West Java
church has agreed to move temporarily to a government-selected site
following Islamist harassment that included a Sept. 12 attack on two of
its leaders.

The Batak Christian Protestant Church (Huria
Kristen Batak Protestan, or HKBP) in Ciketing village, Bekasi, decided
in a congregational meeting on Sunday (Sept. 26) to accept a government
offer to move worship services to the former Organization and Political
Party (OPP) building on the condition that local officials will keep a
promise to build a new house of worship for them within two years in the
Mustika Sari district.

The Rev. Luspida Simanjuntak, who
received hospital treatment after she was struck with a wooden plank by
suspected Islamic extremists in the Sept. 12 attack, said that the
church was ready to stop struggling.

“We are tired of
being intimidated and terrorized,” Pastor Simanjuntak said. “We will be
able to worship quietly and peacefully.”

Pastor
“Bike” Zhang Mingxuan and his wife, along with several other believers,
were detained on Sept. 20 while attending court proceedings for
imprisoned Christians Liu Yunhua and Gao Jianli in Xuchang, Henan
province, according to China Aid Association.

Pastor Zhang, who has been imprisoned previously, was released a few
hours later with his wife. Other Christians, including the son of
defendant Liu Yunhua, were detained by authorities on their way home
from the trial. At last report, these believers were still in detention.

Pray for the release of the detained believers, and pray that God
will grant patience and faith to Liu and Gao throughout their trial. Ask
God to continue to equip and embolden Pastor Zhang in his ministry.

September 28, 2010

Are you still praying for Pakistan? Please don't forget because they are still dealing with the massive floods that took place a few weeks back. Today Mission Network News reminds us:

Pakistan (MNN) ― The World Health Organization says many of those displaced by the Pakistan floods remain trapped in isolated make-shift camps.

There is growing concern about the potential of outbreaks of infectious disease and deaths from malnutrition without medical and food aid. The WHO estimates that only 8% of the population has access to potable water and the same for the sanitation, creating the conditions for the spread of diarrheal diseases, shigellosis and also cholera.

With the crops under water or rotted in muddy fields, the United Nations asked for $180 million to feed six million flood victims in Pakistan for use in October and November.

Please also give to the work of The Voice of the Martyrs as we continue to minister in Pakistan meeting basic needs and sharing the gospel.

Nine Christians were arrested recently in Hamedan, Iran, on charges of engaging in journalistic activities, according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN).

Iranian state television reported that two of those arrested were supported by organizations from the United States and Great Britain, but their nationalities are unknown. The other seven were reportedly accused of cooperating with “Christian-Zionist organizations.” The Iranian government uses this terminology to describe Christians who have access to a number of evangelistic networks and TV satellite programs. FCNN concluded that this is the first time in three decades that state TV has broadcast news about the arrest of Christians.

Pray that God will equip these believers to share the gospel while in prison, and pray for their release. Pray that the increased persecution in Iran will result in increased boldness among Christians.

September 27, 2010

Awhile back we told you about the unbelievable case of four Christian missionaries who were arrested at an Arab festival in Dearborn, Michigan, for allegedly "disturbing the peace". Thankfully, we have great news to report to you today as the "Dearborn 4" have been acquitted of these ridiculous charges.

Here's part of the report from The Christian Post:

A jury in one of the most densely populated Muslim communities in the
United States has acquitted four Christian street preachers of all but
one of the charges laid against them earlier this year.

Nabeel Qureshi of Virginia, Negeen Mayel of California, and Paul Rezkalla and David Wood, both of New York, were all acquitted of breaching the peace
Friday. Mayel, however, was found guilty of failing to obey a police
officer’s order. But her one-day jail sentence was waived for time
served.

The four evangelists – associated with Acts 17 Apologetics Ministries
– had been arrested back in June as they were attending the 15th Annual
Dearborn Arab International Festival along with over 300,000 from
across the country.

Though the preachers said they only spoke with people who wanted to
speak with them, one of the volunteers at the festival contacted the
police and accused the four of disturbing the peace.

...

The group, furthermore, has insisted that its clients should not even
have to stand trial for exercising their First Amendment rights.

Despite TMLC and the street preachers' claims, city officials
maintain that incidents such as the one this past June have nothing to
do with First Amendment Rights.

"[I]t has to do with public safety and the individual choices made by the arrested parties,” they argued.

*** We praise God that they were acquitted. Please keep your brothers and sisters in your prayers during these times of difficulty. Click here for the full story.

On Sept. 19, Islamic extremists
broke into the Philadelphia Pentecostal Church in Sharif Town, Karachi
City, Pakistan, and set fire to Bibles, hymnals, a musical instrument
and a table, according to The Voice of the
Martyrs contacts.

The church, which is led by Pastors George Rakha and Peter Shahza
d,
was established six years ago and is actively involved in Muslim
evangelism. “At 4 a.m., some fanatics broke the lock of the church door
and entered the church,” VOM contacts reported. “They burned three
crosses, nine Bibles, five books of worship songs, a table and a musical
instrument Tabla [local drum].”

On Sept. 20, the Christian community displayed a banner protesting
the burning of their Bibles. Christians believe this incident was a
reaction to an American pastor’s widely publicized threat to burn copies
of the Quran on Sept. 11. Christian leaders in the U.S. spoke out
against the pastor’s plan to burn the Quran, and he ultimately decided
against it. But it seems that no Muslim leaders spoke out against the
actual burning of Bibles in Pakistan.

VOM encourages you to pray for believers in Pakistan who courageously
live for Christ in the midst of opposition. Pray that believers’
testimonies and love for Christ will draw their Muslim neighbors into
fellowship with Christ.

Robert J. Thomas and
his wife left to be the first missionaries to Korea in July 1863. His
wife died soon after their arrival. In 1866,
having evangelized for a few months in Korea and having learned the
language,
Thomas rode the American ship,
the General Sherman,
along the Taedong River to the location of the present-day capital of
North Korea. The Sherman became grounded on a sandbar. Korean soldiers
on shore
were suspicious and scared,
and they boarded the ship,
waving long,
flashing knives.

When Thomas saw that he was going to be killed,
he held out the Korean Bible to them saying,
“Jesus,
Jesus.” His head was cut off.

Twenty-five years after Thomas’s death,
someone discovered a little guest house in this area with some strange
wallpaper. The paper had Korean characters printed on it. The owner of
the house explained that he had pasted the pages of this book on the
wall to preserve the writing. The owner and many of the guests would
come in and stay to “read the walls.” This was the Bible that Thomas had
given to his murderers.

Even though Communists rule that area today,
the church lives. The work of Robert J. Thomas—called the “temporary missionary”—continues in North Korea,
where now God’s Word is not only pasted on their walls,
but also hidden in their hearts.

Imagine planting a garden in the spring,
only to move in the summer. All the time and effort spent planting and
weeding and watering the seeds for the tomatoes,
peppers,
and melons seems wasted. The same can be said of our witness for Christ.
Here,
the stakes are higher than a basket of tomatoes. Without the benefit of
seeing the fruit of our labors,
it can be painful to trust that our hard work will be appreciated and
respected. Remember,
God is the one who makes all things grow. We can trust that God will
continue the work we have begun—even when he moves us on. What gardens
do you need to leave for someone else to grow?

September 24, 2010

For the first time in nearly a century, Armenians have been allowed to conduct a religious service in a recently renovated island church in eastern Turkey, in an event that Ankara intended as a show of tolerance toward its Christian minority.

Van-turkey-rferl)- But the Sunday Mass was boycotted by many Armenians because of the failure by Turkey to place a cross atop the building.

The September 19 Armenian Orthodox service on the Lake Van island of Akhtamar, conducted by Archbishop Aram Ateshian, the spiritual leader of Turkey's Armenian community, lasted for 2 1/2 hours and attracted many visitors, including representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps in Turkey and the mayor of the city of Van.

Hundreds of Armenian pilgrims also attended. Read more of this story at Farsi Christian News Network.